Worst Game!

[Left4Good]

I had recently picked up golf and have been playing for about 2 months now a few times a week. I played before but maybe only about 6x's max. I have been trying everything to keep my drives and iron hits from going left. Sometimes it goes far left and other times mostly straight (where I was aiming) just a bit left of where I was originally aiming. It does not slice it just starts off left and goes straight just angled left (like its hitting the toe of the club). I have tried moving the ball forward and back and have been trying to make a conscious effort to close my club face on down swing. It seems when I try to close the club face I duff the ball big time and it usually ends about 10 yds in front of me (frustrating to say the least). Its to the point now when I address the ball I am thinking "am I actually going to hit the ball? and if I do how f$%#ed up is it going to be?" Yesterday I played the worst round ever, you know the round that you tell yourself why do I put myself through this toruture! (plus I was walking so hitting it from one side of the fairway to the other was no fun). I play with a buddy who is left handed as well and has a handicap of 12 and he had an awesome round yesterday and shot in the high 70s which made the round that much more pain staken. Unfortunately, I am stationed in Japan so running up the road to the nearest course/driving range and employing the help of a golf pro is not that easy. My only fear is that my bad golf habits have set in and I have to unlearn and relearn which is hard. Thanks for any advice or help.

[Neil18]

Re: Worst Game!

I know you've exerimented a bit, but it sounds like the ball's too far back in your stance.

If you dump it when you move it forward and try to release it more it just means you're used to hitting the ball when it's too far back. You're moving the ball forward but still swinging like it's back in your stance.

Move the ball forward and try to hit some shots straight right. See what happens. Go to the other extreme then work back from there.

[LowPost42]

Re: Worst Game!

So a pull if you're a righty, and a push if you're a lefty.

Have you had anyone check your alignment?

I went out within the last month and a guy was playing a new driver, and was complaining that everything was going left compared to his old driver.

So I stand behind him on his line, and watch him line up left, then stripe one dead straight (compared to his alignment). Guess what? He complains that it went left. I told him he hit it dead straight, and that he was obviously blocking his old driver.

[rotator]

Re: Worst Game!

LowPost42,

It's difficult to speculate, without knowing all that is going on, but that's also what I figured from what he's describing. He's dead pushing with a square club face, when he hits it straight left. This would seem to be a block which is caused by the club coming too much from the inside and being stuck behind, so the arms and hands are not able to release.

He could push slice with this same swing, if he comes into the ball with a open face.

If this is the problem, the remedy is to make sure the club is always in front of the chest in the takeaway and downswing. The hip height position of the shaft in both the takeaway and through swing should be along the toe line, parallel to the target. The club head should be toe up in those positions, to show the wrists and arms are releasing through impact.

Just my opinion.

Ted

[AussieGolfBoy]

Re: Worst Game!

not sure if you said this in your first post, but it could be as simple and confirming the club face is square at setup.
i have just purchased a new driver and "sitting" on the ground teh face stays open. i have to consciously turn it and reset my grip.

if your hitting straight but pushing it i would dare say your swing sounds good, but the face of the driver is facing outwards.